The invention is an improvement in the automatic belt-type printing machine described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,518,940 which is directed to a machine having a web-handling assembly and associated belt-supporting assemblies which are stationary and in fixed relation to each other. Upon completion of a particular printing job, the machine must be shutdown and idled to permit the operators to change the printing belts on the belt-supporting assemblies and make the machine ready for the next printing job. This is costly and time consuming. The invention is directed to solving this problem by reducing the downtime of the machine experienced during the changing of the printing belts of the belt-supporting assemblies.